I went on a heritage tour of temples of the Pandya dynasty (3rd century to 8th century AD). This tour was more from a temple architecture, and history perspective rather than a religious one.

These heritage tours ,can be invaluable learning lessons, in our lives. If we are willing to learn from history, the opportunities to learn are limitless. Let me illustrate with my learning’s from the Pandya dynasty, which ruled South India.

While the learnings were many, I would like to highlight a few of them. It was indeed an eye opener for me and I learnt the following life lessons from the tour :

1. Being minimalistic : The Pandyas believed in minimalistic living. If we look at their architecture or living styles, we realise, it was more functional than exhibitionistic. They did not want to waste money on architecture, which did not serve any purpose. This proved that, although they had all the money needed to lead a pompous life, they utilised it effectively, to lead a meaningful life.

2. Fairness and equity : The Kings in the Pandya dynasty ,were guided by fairness and equity ,in all their dealings. Even succession of the king was defined clearly ,so that there is no conflict ,in the minds of their heirs. Managing land or distribution of rewards, was linked to contributions by the citizens.

3. Respect for all : One of the traits, which really impressed me was their respect, for all citizens. The well read were respected and so were the artisans and the farming community. Everyone was given their place and respect in society and made to feel valued ,for their contributions to the community.

4. Care for the common man: The king was always cognisant ,of the fact that ,all their actions should ultimately lead to the care of common man. The common man ,believed in the fairness and justice of the kings, since everything was done transparently and thereby kings earned the respect of their citizens.

5. Fairness in all trade dealings: Another important learning was the fairness in trade dealings. We were told ,that if a consignment got damaged or lost in the high seas, the loss was borne by the supplier and the customer ,in equal proportions. This was a sign of fairness, which was agreed upon, even before a consignment left the shores for the customer.

6. Respecting knowledge and rewarding intellectuals: The intellectuals were respected and rewarded. The men and women of letters ,were identified and given special land and houses ,so that they can continue to pursue their journey ,to acquire more knowledge. The society was geared ,to respect the intellectuals, at all times.

7. Transparency in all walks of life : Every process in the society, was attempted to be made transparent and fair ,for all citizens. For eg, how the elections are to be held for the local village communities, was well defined. It was also defined, as to who could contest and who could not. The criminals and their close relatives were debarred ,from participating in the election process.

8. Respect for all religions: Today, we speak of secularism and respect for all religions. The Pandyas practised this ,centuries before and their culture and tradition ,still pervades in the territories they ruled, during their time. There is no known case of religious intolerance in the towns and cities even today, which owe their lineage to the pandya dynasty.

9. Water management: Water has always been a valued resource, in time. The Pandyas taught us how to manage water by building dams and canals and ensuring availability of water, in all regions of their kingdom ,right through the year. Even today, we struggle in managing water effectively ,even in areas where there is abundant rainfall and natural sources of water, like rivers and lakes.

10. Managing finances: The Pandya Kings always managed their finances of the state ,very optimally. The kings believed ,never to touch the money inherited from their predecessors ,in the treasury. Every king believed in generating revenue and spending it ,for their citizens. This is quite unlike the modern governments, where the ruling parties empty the coffers before the next government takes over.

We have a lot to learn from history and heritage. Let us open our eyes today.

S Ramesh Shankar

23rd Dec 2024